A podcast for us to reimagine a better sector, tackle systemic issues, and yes—raise some serious cash.

Our Latest Episodes

Leading Human First: Supporting Parental Leave in Nonprofits

Leading Human First: Supporting Parental Leave in Nonprofits

Are you feeling torn between supporting your team's work-life balance and striving to hit those all-important organizational milestones? For those managing small nonprofits, where every hour and every dollar counts tenfold, balancing personal growth and professional success can be a challenge.

Today, we dive deep into creating a workforce that thrives on the “leading human-first” approach with Lacey Kempinski, CEO and Founder of Balanced Good. Balanced Good provides parental leave coverage – from the day-to-day hands-on work to big picture transition planning. Balanced Good believes that a supported transition to parenthood will benefit both our sector and the parents working in it. Lacey has a big vision, she wants parental leave to become a celebrated life milestone, not a feared employment gap.

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Nonprofit Leadership: Fostering a Culture of Collaboration in Nonprofits

Nonprofit Leadership: Fostering a Culture of Collaboration in Nonprofits

Are you leaving the 'dirty work' to others? It's time for leader to embrace the saying, "no task is too small!" In this episode, we'll delve into the art of leading by example, fostering a culture of collaboration, and the transformative power of saying "yes and" to opportunities.

Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Lanrick Bennett to The Small Nonprofit. Lanrick is not only the executive director of Charlie’s Free Wheels, a nonprofit teaching young people leadership through bicycles, but also Toronto's first bicycle mayor, a comedian, and a champion of community engagement. Our conversation promises to be an insightful journey into what it means to be a hands-on leader who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty – quite literally!

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How Small Nonprofits Can Engage with Government Officials & Advocate for Policy Changes

How Small Nonprofits Can Engage with Government Officials & Advocate for Policy Changes

Advocating for change seems daunting, especially when you're working with limited resources and a small team. What if you knew the insider strategies to make a significant impact in your community and get your voice heard at city council meetings? In today's episode, we'll pull back the curtain on the power of local engagement and show you how a small team can pedal their message to the top.

Join us as we chat with the super inspiring Alison Stewart from Cycle Toronto. Her passion for sharing the joy of biking paired with her desire to make Toronto a vibrant cycling city led her to take on several volunteer roles since 2013. Her background includes senior leadership roles in the post secondary sector which saw her develop strategic plans that focused on supporting the diverse needs of international and domestic students on the one hand, while also securing funding and developing government and community partnerships on the other.

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Preventing Nonprofit Burnout: Boundaries & Better Leadership

Preventing Nonprofit Burnout: Boundaries & Better Leadership

What if walking away from the organization you've built is the bravest and most selfless choice you can make? Struggling to let go, battling founder’s syndrome, feeling like an organization will fall apart without you, and putting your life above your work—these are emotions many leaders in our sector face. Today's must-listen episode is a conversation with one such leader who tackled these issues head-on. Then, he turned that experience into expertise he now shares with others.

Mike Prosserman shares his story in this episode; from founder, to leaving the organization, to helping others transition gracefully from their roles. Mike ‘Piecez’ Prosserman is a bestselling author, professional B-Boy (breakdancer), university instructor, and certified coach who specializes in scaling non-profits, team culture, and succession. In Michael’s book Building Unity: Leading a Non-Profit From Spark to Succession, he shares practical tools to building resilient and responsive organizations. He founded and scaled Unity Charity, a grassroots movement using Hip-Hop to improve youth mental health. Through EPIC leadership, Michael is empowering non-profit leaders to build more resilient and responsible organizations.

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Email Strategies for Nonprofits: Boost Engagement and Build Donor Trust

Email Strategies for Nonprofits: Boost Engagement and Build Donor Trust

Feeling lost in the noise and chaos of social media? Let's shift our perspective and rediscover the power of emails. In today's episode of we'll explore why emails remain a timeless tool for building meaningful supporter connections. While social media can be attention-grabbing, it's through emails that genuine conversations and long-lasting bonds are nurtured.

Our guest, Sara Hoshooley is a fundraising consultant and coach with a passion for small nonprofit organizations. As a former small charity Executive Director, she understands the challenges and opportunities facing small but growing nonprofits. Her unique approach uses each organization's strengths to grow fundraising in an authentic and achievable way.

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Nonprofit Capacity Building: How Small Nonprofits Can Optimize Operations & Drive Impact

Nonprofit Capacity Building: How Small Nonprofits Can Optimize Operations & Drive Impact

Are the challenges in your nonprofit growing pains or signs of deeper issues? With a New Year, we have the opportunity to reflect on what is working and what is not! If we don't address the roots of operational dysfunction, our mission is at risk.

In today’s episode, we’re exploring how the heart and soul of our work – our culture – plays a huge role in our success. We're discussing how nurturing the right environment can make your nonprofit more effective, scalable, and fundable.

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Unlocking the Power of Face-to-Face Fundraising

Unlocking the Power of Face-to-Face Fundraising

Does face-to-face fundraising feel out of reach for your small nonprofit? Many you think you need a big amount saved just to start. What if I told you there's a way to step into large-scale face-to-face fundraising, just like the big, well-funded organizations, but without the financial barrier of hiring an agency? Today, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of pricey face-to-face campaigns and reveal accessible (and scalable!) paths for smaller nonprofits.

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Ethical Storytelling and Digital Fundraising Strategies

Ethical Storytelling and Digital Fundraising Strategies

Today we're talking about how nonprofits share their stories - especially in the digital age - and the ethical issues that can arise from how we choose to share stories. We'll explore how lived experience influences how we portray community members and how we can can use social media to connect with supporters while staying true to our values.

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Building Authentic Donor Relationships and Embracing Trends in Fundraising

Building Authentic Donor Relationships and Embracing Trends in Fundraising

Is your nonprofit facing challenges with staff leaving, keeping donors happy, or having competent leaders? This episode of The Small Nonprofit talks about these big issues in the charity world and how they affect your fundraising. We also look at possible ways to fix these problems.

Our guest is Frank Mumford, a seasoned fundraiser with 14 years in the charity sector. Frank started as a student fundraiser and now works at Gravyty, where he helps charities with new software solutions. He's been a CFRE since 2019 and is active in several nonprofit boards. Frank will share his views on the challenges that charities and fundraisers face today.

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